Book-holder.



PATENTED JAN. 27, 1903. H. B. SMITH, SR. BOOK HOLDER.

APPLICATION FILED OUT. 14, 1902.

N0 MODEL.

i gy vyx Nirnn STATES ATENT FFICE.

BOOK-HOLDER.

:a'PEOIFICA'IION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 719,386, dated January 27, 1903.

Application filed October 14, 1902. Serial No. 127,274. (No model.)

To all whom it nutty concern:

Be it known that I, HIRAM BURTON SMITH, Sr., of Atlanta, in the county of Fulton and State of Georgia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Book-Holders; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to the class of bookholders or book-supports which are adapted to be placed on or attached to a table, desk, or other article of furniture, so as to hold a book at any desired angle, and a holder of such type when made in accord with my invention comprises a base-board with a series of ledges near one end, a bail carried by the base-board, and a back board which is detachably secured to the base-board and when attached is maintained at an inclination with the base, as will be hereinafter set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of a book-holder Which embodies one form of my invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation showing a part of the base and a part of the back board. Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 of a modification. Fig. 4 is a side elevation, the back board being laid upon the base; and Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken longitudinally through one end of the book-holder.

The base-board A may be of any suitable dimensions, and to its upper face adjacent to its end there is secured a block B, which may be of a single piece or composed of a plurality of strips which extend across the board A and are shaped to present a plurality of notches or angular recesses 19, the end portion or strip being undercut to provide an overhanging ledge for engagement with a projecting portion of the back board. To the base-board, at a slight distance from the inner end of the block B or the last strip, there is attached a cross-piece C, the front face thereof being inclined at the same angle as the front faces of the recesses b, and, as shown in Fig. 3, below the inclined face the transverse strip 0 may have a curved recess to accommodate the curved end of the back board.

the base-board, being maintained substantially at right angles to the rear faces of the recesses. The construction shown admits of the back board being readily attached and detached from the base-board.

The base A near its front end has recesses e to receive the inwardly-bent ends of a wire bail E, the extreme ends of which are bent to lie on the same plane as the side bars, and these ends are engaged by fiat springs F, attached to the base, such springs being movable upward into recesses cut in the under side of the block B. When the bail is raised, the springs will bear upon the ends of the bail and exert a tendency to throw the bail toward the baseboard.

With the construction shown it will be observed that the back board can be readily detached from the base and when attached will be maintained at a fixed angle thereon. A book where placed on the holder will bear against the back board, and its lower end will rest in one of the recesses, so that the book may be maintained at any desired inclination, and no matter where placed the bail will bear against the pages to hold the book open. In turning the leaves the bail may be moved beyond the front of the base-board and will be so held by the springs. The bend in the cross-bar of the bail provides a convenient grasping portion and prevents the bail when swung forward lying fiat upon the table or desk which supports the base-board.

The herein described device provides a book-holder by means of which a book can be held at any desired angle, and when not in use the boards may be readily separated, and the construction is such that it can be manufactured at a small cost.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a book-support, the combination with a base-board having adjacent to one end, a plurality of recesses constructed to receive the lower end of a book, of a back board detachably secured to the base-board to be maintained at an angle therewith, and a springactuated bail pivoted to the front end of the base-board, substantially as shown.

5 2. In a book-support, the combination of a base-board having a plurality of recesses conform to the shape of the recess and to bear against the front face of the inclined block,

substantially as shown and for the purpose 1 set forth. 15

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

structed to receive the lower end of a book v a block having an overhanging edge, and an HIRAM BURTON SMITH inclined block to the rear of said block with Witnesses: 10 the overhanging edge, and a back board the T. J. CRAWFORD, lower end thereof being constructed to con- E. M. REDWINIE. 

